At its peak in the late 1980s, Group C sportscar racing was so popular as to risk infringing on the status of Formula 1 as the topflight of motorsport. The powerbrokers duly responded with unsubtle rule changes that blunted the performance of category greats, including the Porsche 956/962. Manufacturers soon quit and privateers couldn’t prop up the grids amid increasing costs. As a result, in 1992, the FIA governing body called time on the World Sportscar Championship without devising a direct replacement. That, in turn, left Porsche in a bind. Its flagship Works effort was over and there was no ongoing customer racing programme. Step forward the 964-generation 911 Carrera RSR 3.8, which is credited with reigniting Zuffenhausen’s GT racing boom that continues to this day.

Evolving the recipe of the one-make Carrera Cup machine, the RSR was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.8-litre air-cooled flat-six Type M64/04 motor that could ostensibly generate up to 380 horsepower. The powerplant nestled beneath a fibreglass engine lid that formed a one-piece assembly with the huge twin-plane rear wing. Bringing down the weight, the doors and bonnet lid were constructed from aluminium, while thinner glass was used for the side and rear windows.

To satisfy homologation requirements for competition entry in German GT series, a total of 55 road-going RS cars were built alongside 51 examples of the race-bred, turn-key RSR. The latter would score astonishing race results from the outset. The headline achievements include overall wins in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 1993, the 1000 Kilometres of Suzuka, and 24 Hours of Interlagos. There was also a GT class victory in that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, a clean sweep of the category top four at Daytona, and another class triumph at Sebring.

Of the 51 examples of the RSRs built by Porsche Motorsport, 48 were delivered by the middle of August 1994. From the three others, one was ordered as a bodyshell to rebuild a crashed race car. The remaining two were destined for an exceptionally important customer to be built into his vision for the ultimate roadgoing type-964.

As documented in the book Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 by marque authorities Jürgen Barth, Norbert Franz, and Robert Weber, the important client visited Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur department and placed an order for six vehicles. A pair of left-hand-drive and a pair of right-hand drive Turbo S Lightweights, further to a pair of Carrera RSR 3.8 ‘Strassenversions’. All six cars were loaded with special-request options, never to be seen again on customer cars. The wheel centres were painted Amythest Metallic and all featured gold brake callipers. While each car was uniquely optioned, they shared these two identifying features. It is important to note that, at a time when Porsche was financially struggling, such an impressive order would have been much needed in Stuttgart, which ultimately led to the production of some of the most-famous type-964 911s ever produced.

Among the sextet was chassis number 496107 offered here.

Delivered a full two years after RSR production had seemingly finished, the car arrived in the United Kingdom on 25 March 1996. Part of the protracted build time was due to the bespoke “Interior-to-Sample” Guards Red leather upholstery. Not only did this clad the seats, steering wheel, and dashboard—as might be expected—but also the Matter roll cage was hand stitched with the same leather, as was the steering column, centre console, door caps, and built-in air jack lines. It was the best effort at creating a ‘luxury’ type-964 race car for the road. The Can Can Red carpeting and six-point Schroth racing harnesses were colour-matched, as was the headlining. The silver-faced instrument bezels were surrounded with silver-grey leather, as were the door pulls and centre part of the dashboard. Even the dashboard air vents, switches, ignition barrel, plus indicator and wiper stalks were trimmed in black leather. A truly bespoke interior for Porsche’s most prized customer of the 1990s.

Unsurprisingly, the exterior was no less extensively configured—wearing Polar Silver Metallic (with the back of the seats coloured to match). The sister RSR, chassis number 496109, gained the same lavishly appointed interior but wore Grand Prix White paintwork. Both of these more amenable 964-generation ‘Strassenversion’ 911s were equipped with the uprated twin-ignition “Le Mans”-specification race engine, a complete air jack system, a 120-litre fuel cell, and a 40 per cent locking rear differential.

However, for reasons unknown, neither of the customer’s RSRs would be enjoyed at maximum attack on track or for a thrilling, white-knuckle B-road blast. Instead, they were tucked away as part of the owner’s vast collection in “as-new” condition for almost two decades. They were then rediscovered in early 2015, still wearing their factory-applied protective Cosmoline coating.

This car, chassis 496107, was found with delivery use only: a scarcely believable 10 kilometres displayed on the odometer. It was sold to a second keeper in May 2017 before being bought by the vendor in November 2023. The two subsequent owners having left the car almost entirely untouched, except for occasional transportation, this RSR heads to auction still wearing the dust and dirt accumulated from its time in storage. It is also fitted with the original set of tyres while retaining its matching-numbers 3.8-litre flat-six and Getrag G50 gearbox.

The extreme specification and fascinating story behind chassis 496107 combine to make Porsche poetry. From the already rare breed that is the 964-type 911 Carrera RSR 3.8, this is one of only two more civilised ‘Strassenversion’ cars ever built. Offered in untouched condition with just 10 kilometres showing on the odometer, its rarity surpasses its four Turbo S Lightweight cousins, and its odometer remains lower than its Grand Prix White sister. This Porsche would surely outrank a 959, Carrera GT, and hybrid 918 Spyder as the flagship entry into any Stuttgart-themed collection.